Unwed Sailor - Underwater Over There '2024

Tracks list

Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Unwed Sailor have been on a tear over the past few
years. Following a quiet phase through much of the 2010s, they reëmerged with
the aptly titled Heavy Age (2019), and two more full-lengths, Truth Or
Consequences (2021) and Mute The Charm (2023), that chart a remarkable evolution
of their bass-led, pop-leaning post rock. On Underwater Over There –
their ninth LP overall – a current of 80s goth and jangle-pop runs
beneath a litany of memorable hooks and compositional left turns, creating a
propulsive and intricate world of sound.

The band worked collectively on all elements of mixing and production to craft a
meticulously layered environment, while maintaining an air of spontaneity and
experimentation across the set. Early standout, “Final Feather”,
drifts through varying landscapes of airiness and haze on a high-neck bass hook,
while the hum of voices adds a contrast of angelic comfort. Bearing influence
from New Order and The Cure in particular, its balance of gravitas and shimmer
is the result of founding member Johnathon Ford’s intuitive writing
method: the lead bass line comes first, followed by supporting melodies, drums,
guitars, keys, and final detailing.

“Dusty” is a prime example of this process, as Ford’s
powerful, low-end groove anchors a full-spectrum array of guitars, bells, and
arpeggiations along with Matt Putman’s energetic drum section. Its fluid
pacing provides a perfect establishing shot, with shifting moods that gather
into a coda guided by David Swatzell’s harmonized, glittering guitar
riffs – a sunrise after a moonless night. In quick succession,
“Blue Tangier” widens the aperture with a pounding percussive
refrain, vibrant bass tone and an unforgettable, fuzzed-out melodic motif.

Sprawling centerpiece, “Junko”, is a loose callback to 2003’s
The Marionette and The Music Box, its deliberate stride and interwoven melodies
evoking the hands of a mechanical clock, and the anticipation of something
long-awaited but nebulous. It drifts effortlessly from innocence to intrigue,
expands into a mesmerizing howl, and vanishes abruptly into mist.
“Antoinette” conveys many of Unwed Sailor’s unique strengths
in a tight four minutes, as its mysterious, wah-wah melody snarls across a
massive and deeply textured bed of percussion, pulsing with the kinetic push of
a steam engine, equal parts beauty and brutality.

Title track, “Underwater Over There”, commences the final act with
aquatic synthesizer loops that ease into chorus-tinged bass and towers of rich
melody and counterpoint. This patient fortitude carries into the penultimate
piece, “Bend the Air”, which offers the album’s most
cinematic passage, a climax of emotional release and breathless exhilaration. By
contrast, the brief closer, “V & V”, is a balladic, piano-led ode to
Ford’s cats, Voodoo and Veruca; you can easily imagine them resting in a
sunbeam, as its backdrop of field recordings nods to the bustling world outside.

While honoring their forebears in winks and nods, Unwed Sailor remain totally
inimitable in their approach and style, twenty-five years into an acclaimed
career. The band’s clear vision for Underwater Over There has yielded
some of their most indelible work, and their inventive, passionate approach
gives a strong sense of plenty more beyond the horizon. 



Tracklist:
1.01 - Unwed Sailor - Dusty (4:39) 
1.02 - Unwed Sailor - Blue Tangier (5:22) 
1.03 - Unwed Sailor - Final Feather (4:13) 
1.04 - Unwed Sailor - Junko (7:06) 
1.05 - Unwed Sailor - Peculiar Way (3:50) 
1.06 - Unwed Sailor - Antoinette (3:41) 
1.07 - Unwed Sailor - Skylight (6:18) 
1.08 - Unwed Sailor - Underwater Over There (6:17) 
1.09 - Unwed Sailor - Bend the Air (4:05) 
1.10 - Unwed Sailor - V&V (2:25)

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